Clouds #1

The family of a person who is a photo bug has to make certain concessions.

Even if you are the daughter of one such photo bug, and are in the hospital for major surgery, don't let it upset you that when your father visits you, he also brings his camera bag so that he can take advantage of the fourth floor west-facing view over Melbourne, Florida from your room.

It's nothing you should allow yourself to get angry over; he can't really help it.

Me And Ol' Blue

This is a self-portrait I did in around 1983. That would make me 20 years old in this photo.

I had been out for an afternoon of photographing things when I decided to put the camera on a picnic table and take a picture of myself. I didn't have a tripod with me. Looking back, I'm glad I did. This is the best picture of Ol' Blue that I have.

Ol' Blue was my Dad's truck and got passed on to me when he upgraded to a new vehicle. It was a 1975 Ford F-100 Custom. Ol' Blue was finally traded in years after this photo, when it had 165,000 miles on it. It felt like we took a beloved family pet to the vet to be put to sleep.

This is a slight crop from the original 35mm slide. I usually post most photos full-frame, but there was some dead space in the photo, behind me in the right of the image. I cropped that out.

The old me; I'd sure like to have that 20 year old body back again.

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It's Sunday, and that means I've also posted photos on my other blog, if you care to see them.

Black And White #3

A couple more photos from my time in B&W photography classes when I was in college the first time in the early 80s.

Nothin' special, I guess I was in an artsy fartsy mood when taking these.

Canon AE-1 and 50mm f1.8 lens. I'm pretty sure they were on Pan-X (125 ASA), but I didn't look to see for sure when I scanned them.

Spiffy Lookin' Trees

Both of these photos were taken in a public park along the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian, Florida. About ten miles (16km) south of where I live.

It was a beautiful day, and I was just snapping away. Later as I looked through the photos on the computer, I really liked the first one. It isn't artistic or anything, but the trees have plenty of character on their own. The clock was put up as a memorial for something or other, but I've forgotten what.

The second photo was at the same park, but I liked the symmetry of them lined up there, with the tall one in the middle.

I'm glad I got a few decent shots, because my camera battery died about fifteen minutes after I got there. Nikon's camera batteries last a very long time, but once the camera battery level indicator starts showing anything less than full, I know I need to charge it up. It was showing 3/4 full, so I thought that it would last a while. Nope, from 3/4 full until it stopped working was about 50 photos.

My new lens has Nikon's vibration reduction feature, which I love, love, love, but I'm even more careful to keep my battery topped off.

Signs #1

I like signs. Unique, funny, whatever. If it's unusual, it catches my eye.

The first photograph was taken in a big pond behind the Brevard County Public Library in Melbourne, Florida.

The second photo was taken on the banks of Crane Creek in Melbourne, Florida. Statute or no statute, you don't have to worry about ol' John enticing any alligators.

Caution! Storks Ahead

Aren't these things hideous looking? I'm sure glad I was too young to remember the stork dropping me off at my parents' house when I was a baby.

Now that I think about it, maybe that's why I'm so twisted, I might have been terrorized by the stork that delivered me and I repressed it...

Gotta get into therapy.

Snake River, Idaho

Yesterday, on my other blog, I wrote about how me and my family, and my Big Brother and his family once checked into rooms above a bar in Idaho out of desperation. This was in July of 1989.

To our surprise, not only were the rooms nice and clean, but the next morning revealed that this place was actually on the banks of the Snake River.

There were an incredible array of pastel wild flowers that stretched from the base of the bar/motel to the mountains in the distance.

The first pic is of some wild flowers at my feet, along side the river.

The second photo is of Number One Daughter squatting to see how the flowers smelled, with the Snake River spread out behind her.

If you like these pics, check out the story and some more pics on my regular blog.

A stunningly beautiful morning and place. I'll always remember this as one of my life's great surprises.

Canon AE-1 with Tokina 35-105 lens. Kodachrome 64.